Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-05-12
DAILY HERALD.
vITRIOL.
Mrs. w. f. Rozelle Marks
Charles Petrie.
A MOST HORRIBLE SPECTACLE.
Revenge of an Engineers Wife
Who Claims that Another En-
gineer Insulted Her.


lege street was yesterday the scene
one of the most horrible acts that ha
been committed for some time past
The house is owned by Mr.. Martin
who is an engineer on the Southcr
Pacific Railroad, and occupied b
William +. Rozelle and wifi
and roomer named Charlie
Petrie, also engineers for the sam
railroad company. The terrible Grim
was committed by Mrs. Rozelle, VIII
took q glassful OF vitriol and threw it il
Petrie's face, who, she claims came init
her room about quarter to five oclocl
yesterday afternoon aud attempted t.
outrage her. Petrie, half.craztd anC
almost blinded with pain from the flesh
eating acid, managed with the assist
ance of some strangers to procure Q
hack and was rapidly driven to DR.. FL
s. Orme's office. The Doctor not being
in, the unfortunate victim was. taken
into the rear room of G. f. Heinzeman's
drug store which is directly underneath
the office of DIR. Orme. Here Petrie
was placed in chair and DIR. w. w.
Ross, who had been summoned, began
applying lotion, consisting OF ilIia wa
Ter, linseed oil and bi.carbonate Of soda,
to arrest the ravages of the acid and
alleviate as much as possible the mans
fearful sufferlngs.
The wounded man must have suffered
excruciating pain, for he begged some
ono to kill him. His face presented a
disgusting appearance. The lotion,
which was applied freely. was consumed
almost a. rapidly as applied by the burn.
ing acid. Occasionally his eyes were
opened aud large quantities Of the mix
ture dropped in. This caused the pa
tient such great pam that he would al
most go into Mysteries and work him.
self into fearful contortions. SO heart.
rending was the scene that well-known
gentleman present actually tainted.
THE VICTIMS STATEMENT.
A HERALD reporter who was present
asked Petrie who threw the vitriol, and
amid lamentations he said: ''My God!
My God! Wait, wait till | am out of
this pain" Soon he became a little
more elf.possessed and made the fol-
lowing statement: ~ am an engineer on
the S. P. R. R.. and am 2S years Of age.
i run engine No. 81 on the freight line
between here and Summer, and got in
Los Angeles Tuesday night at II o'clock
Yesterday got up about 4 O'Clock, and
while dressing, a woman knocked at
my door and askei me if 1 was
dressed. | told her | was not,
and she said when I was, for
me to come in her room, which is
only about eight or ten feet from my
room. put on my slippers, and on en-
tering her room all she said was, "You
will, will your" and threw the vitriol in
my face. 1t began to burn me terribly,
and | ran down stairs and out in the
street. she following me with another
glassful of something, as far as the foot
OF the stairs. l then came here as soon
as | could. l do not care to give the
name of the woman, as | am afraid of
her husband, who is also an engineer,
and lives in the same house. She says
insulted her, but did not"
On being pressed for more informl.
tion, Petrie would not talk about the af-
fair; but when the reporter said that
possibly there was a love affair con-
nected with the case, Petrie said; "Do
you suppose that every woman carries
around .vitriol to throw at men on the i'm.
pulse of the moment? l did not insult
her"
DR., Ormr ther hsd the man removed
to the hospital on Fourth and Olive
street, where he left strict orders not to
allow anyone to see the patient under
any circumstances.
THE OTHER SIDE.
The reporter then went to Mrs. Ro-
selle's residence, the door of which was
opened by the lady's husband, who was
greatly surprised to learn that the HER
AID was in possession OF the facts and
SO soon after the occurrence. Mr..
Rozelle was very pale and nervous, aud
made the following statement of the
affair to the reporter and another per-
son present: My wife is a.brunette and
2S years of age. My wife threw the
yitriol in that mans face, for I told her
to do it, and got the vitriol for
her. Petrie has been rooming
mere aDOut nNb iuOnth5s i<ucb tOiu
ary, while my wife was sick, aud while
l was out on the road, Petrie went into
my wife's room and made improper ad.
vances to her. When came home she
told me of it and then told her that
would get some vitriol and the next
time Petrie insulted her to throw it 10
his face. Igot the vitriol aud my wife
has had IL in the closet ever since. Yes
terday afternoon he again came in my
wife's room, no one being in the house
but her, pushed her on tho bed and
attempted to outrage her. She go
away from him, got the vitriol ant
to. She then ran down stairs and int
the next house, Mrs. Joseph Mullally's
and told them what she had done
don't blame my wife in the least. TO
she did just as 1 told her. admit
told her to 40 it and am to blame for tn,
affair, but am willing to stand the conse
auences. This man Petrie is bad char
acter, He married woman out OF
house of i'll fame in Sacramento. III
deserted her here and she is now clerk
ing in toy store in Tulare. Any OF tn
railroad boys will tell you just wha
kind of q man he is if you take tn
trouble to 60 and ask them." -,
Mrs. Rozelle was in the room Will
her husband made the above statement
but did not enter into the conversation
at all. In fact, her husband did nc
want her to say anything, as he was tn
responsible party in the affair. Mr.!
Rozelle is very attractive looking littl
lady. She was rather nervous, but cor
sidering the gravity Of the affair, took
somewhat calmly.
MORE DETAILS.
The reporter then went to the ho
pital to see Petrie, and try to induc
him to say something more of the Al
fair, but the ladies in charge politely RI
fused to allow the patient to be seen, Q
DR.. Orme had given strict orders not
let any one talk to him. The ladi'
were in total ignorance of how Petr
received his injuries. No amount
persuasion would induce them to allo
Petrie to be seen, and the report
left.